Carter's Mistake
by eponinehugo
Summary: This is my first fic so go easy on me. Carter has a new med student and she looks just like Lucy, how will he react? Rubbish summary I know but please Read and review and I promise romance later on, maybe with Ray...
1. Default Chapter

"25 year old male, GSW to the right shoulder, BP 150 over 70, pulse 120, found unconscious at the scene, this is Mrs. Haddaker, she found him on her doorstep." The paramedics rushed the gurney in with Abbey Lockhart following swiftly.

"Carter," yelled Abbey as she groped for the victim's pulse, "I need your help here, we got a GSW to the shoulder, the bullet seems to have punctured the lung, he's bleeding out!"

Carter looked up from the child's hand he was removing a splinter from, he hated the monotonous cases and relished the chance to treat a good juicy trauma, he put down his tweezers hastily and ran after Abbey. The trauma room was crowded as usual, nurses rushed round fetching instruments at the doctor's requests. Carter checked the man's corotid pulse, weak and rapid, he listened to his chest, poor beath sounds with whistling on the right – a punctured lung.

"Ok, I need a chest tube, six units of O neg and we gotta intubate him, Abbey, start an IV please."

Carter positioned himself at the man's head,

"I can't see a damn thing, suction please!"

A nurse suctioned the blood out of the victim's mouth as Carter visualised the vocal chords and inserted the tube,

"I'm done, bag him."

Kovac entered the room pulling on his surgical gloves,

"What have we got, Carter."

"Male GSW victim, intubated and chest tubed, we need an echo and an x ray to locate the bullet as there's no exit wound, so it must be lodged somewhere. It pierced his right lung so I'm guessing it must be lodged in the pulmonary vein, which means if we don't get it out soon he's in danger of suffering a pulmonary embolism and he'll stroke out."

"We gotta get him to the OR then, is he stable?"

"As stable as he's gonna be."

"Lets go then, Maleek, page Corday telling her we're sending up a GSW to the right shoulder and lung."

Carter pulled his bloody gloves off as Kovac wheeled the patient upstairs to the OR. Abbey ran her hands through her hair,

"Whew, and I thought it was going to be a slow one today."

"Yeah." Carter replied.

"I hear you have med students starting today, how many?"

"Four, I think, they should be arriving any time now, Kerry's giving them their induction and then I guess I'll be assigned a couple."

Abbey nodded, she hated being alone with Carter, it was still awkward after the way they left things before he went to the Congo and met Kem and these days he was so quiet that getting conversation out of him was like trying to draw blood from a stone. She made her excuses and left the room, leaving Carter watching her stride away. He sighed, waited a moment then followed her out towards the admit desk to choose a patient.

"What have we got, Carter?" asked Pratt.

"Ooh, take your pick, we've got abdominal pain and vomiting in four, migraine in six and a kid with chicken pox and a high fever in two."

"I'll take the migraine, leave the vomiter to you."

"Thanks. Hey Pratt, what time you on till tonight?"

"I finish in an hour, why?"

"So you're not getting a med student assigned to you?"

"No, I think that's an honour open only to you and Kovac this time."

"Great."

"Listen, Carter, you look tired, I finish in an hour, so why don't I take these three patients and while it's quiet go get some lunch and have rest."

"Thanks Pratt." Carter smiled gratefully at his friend before putting the file down and heading towards the cafeteria, he didn't know why, but he had been tired recently. Well, that was a lie, he did know why. Since their baby died, Kem hardly slept and her tossing and turning kept him awake too. He was worried about her, things between them just weren't the same anymore, she barely spoke to him, barely ate and spent a lot of time locked in the bathroom crying. He had tried to talk to her, but it was just too hard, he didn't want to be mean, but sometimes he wished she'd go back to the congo and give him some space. No, of course he didn't really wish that, he did love her, but it was just so hard and she hardly ever acknowledged his existence, it was almost like because he was a doctor and hadn't noticed something was wrong sooner, she blamed him for their child's death. Carter shook these thoughts out of his head, after lunch he'd have med students to concentrate on and after last years disaster that was Neela, he knew he should make a real effort with the next student he had to take under his wing. Carter picked up a tray with a sigh and joined the dinner queue.

"Hello, I'm new today, could you please tell me where I could find a Dr. Weaver?" a small blonde girl stood by the admit desk, Jerry looked at her and smiled, she was cute, only about five foot one or two, visibly curvaceous with lovely long blonde hair and enormous brown eyes.

"Are you one of the new med students?"

The girl smiled sweetly revealing a beautiful set of pearl white teeth and nodded.

"Jeez, they're sending you kids into the lions den young these days, aren't they."he laughed.

"I'm 22." the girl said reassuringly.

"Well, I suppose you'd better wait here for Dr. Weaver, I'll go and find her, she's with a patient I think. In the meanitme, this is Roy Kenneth, another med student, Roy this is..."

"Hi, I'm Amy, Amy Howard."

A tall sandy haired man offered her his hand with a smile, Jerry grinned and strode off to find Kerry. He wasn't sure who, but little Amy reminded him of someone. He found Kerry in exam two with the chicken pox boy.

"Kerry, two of you're med students have arrived, a Mr. Roy Kenneth and a hot Miss Amy Howard."

"Thank you for your professional and rather sexist opinion on miss Howard Jerry, if I can trust you not to sexually alienate our new student, can I leave you with them while I finish up here? Offer them some coffee in the lounge or something."

"Sure thing." He smiled as he left exam two and went back to the admit desk where the number of medical students had doubled to four. Amy was stood with a chubby brunette and the two girls were engaged in excited conversation. "Right, I'm going to take you all to the lounge to wait for Dr. Weaver, can you two please tell me your names?" he asked indicating to the two new med students.

"Hi, I'm Lotte Redmond, sorry, Charlotte Redmond." giggled the chubby brunette, clearly attracted to Jerry.

"And I'm, er, Peter Gregson." said a shy, but rather tall and handsome black young man, who had the most piercing dark brown eyes which gazed over the heads of his fellow students as he lingered at the back.

Jerry showed the students to the lounge and told them to help themselves to coffee, as he left the room he bumped into Abbey,

"Sorry, Abbey."

"Oh my God, Jerry, should we warn him?"

"What?"

"Should we warn Carter?"

"Warn him about what?"

"That blonde girl in there."

"Why?"

"Haven't you noticed? She looks almost exactly like Lucy Knight!"

"I knew she looked like someone, but I couldn't remember who! Damn! Given the current situation, this is going to mess him up something shocking. He's only just getting over what happened to Lucy and his, erm, recent loss."

Abbey nodded in agreement,

"So, what do we do?"

"Erm, could you tell Kerry, it's just, you're so much better at this sort of thing then I am?"

Abbey nodded and smiled a nervous smile. She made her way to exam two, stopping outside the door she could hear Kerry ordering a saline IV for the five year old boy with chicken pox. Abbey pushed the door and walked in.

"Kerry, can I have a word please, it's about one of the new med students."

"What's wrong Abbey, don't tell me one of them is being a nuisance already?"

"Well no, it's more of a personal issue really," Abbey shifted her glance round the room, not wishing to make eye contact with Kerry, this was awkward.

"Abbey, just tell me what the problem is, please." oredered Kerry.

"Well, one of the med students looks uncannily like Lucy Knight, and I'm not sure that she should be paired with Carter."

"Well Abbey, I've already given Carter and Luka the names of their students, if I change them now, questions will be asked and I'm sure that John does not wish to be viewed as a delicate case, if she happens to be with him, then it's just one of those things, but I can't change he unless he requests it."

"Couldn't you just make something up?"

"Abbey, no, now don't mention anything to Carter, if she does look like Lucy he may not notice."

"Oh I very much doubt that."

Carter met Kovac by the admit desk,

"So, you ready to meet this years vitims?" Kovac quipped, but Carter was too busy studying the applications and files of his students, Kenneth and Howard.

Weaver led the group of shy med students to the admit desk, the small blonde student instantly caught Carter's eye and his gaze lingered on her, fortunately she was too nervous to notice his stare.

"Goodmorning Drs Carter and Kovac, these are our new med students, Mr. Roy Kenneth, Mr. Peter Gregson, Miss Charlotte Redmond and Miss Amy Howard, now Amy and Roy, you are assigned to Dr. Carter, Peter and Charlotte, Dr. Kovac is your assigned resident, I'll leave you guys to get to know each other." Kerry smiled as she turned and walked away. With great effort Carter tore his gaze away from the pretty blonde before walking past them and beckoning for them to follow. Amy waved goodbye to her friend and followed Carter as he gave them the grand tour.

"Right, okay, these are the exam rooms where we take care of the patients who come in here sick, the files for each case are stored at the admit desk, here is the lounge, which I believe you are already acquianted with, the elevators, toilets, Miss Howard, if you could please keep up and not stray behind."

Amy caught his hard, cold stare, she looked at him in the same defiant way which Lucy used to and he glared down at her intimidatingly.

"Well maybe you shouldn't walk so fast, I am a lot littler than you, my legs aren't that long!" She snapped back, a memory stirred in Carter, not only did she look like Lucy, she had a mouth like Lucy's too.

"Well, answering back on the first day, what a wonderful way to start off on the wrong foot, I should watch your step Miss Howard."

Amy glared at him and Roy smirked as he continued the tour.

Amy Howard sighed with relief as her first day in the ER came to an end, Dr. Carted was an absolute nightmare, everything she'd done he'd criticised and everytime she'd strayed from his sight he'd sought her out and scolded her like she was a little child, she didn't know how she was going to survive the next few years with him. She hoped today had just been a bad day and tomorrow would be better. She took her bag out of her locker, reached into it and pulled out a chocolate bar. Smiling, she unwrapped it and bit into it. Revived, she wrapped her coat around herself and made for the door. Roy caught up with her on her way out,

"Hey," he touched her shoulder as she was about to step through the automatic doors of the ER, "I just wanted to say that I think the way Dr.Carter laid into you today was well out of order."

"Yeah well, maybe tomorrow will be better."

"Yeah. Do you want to go for a drink or something?"

"Now? I can't, I have to get home, I er, haven't fed the um... cat." she smiled at him, he nodded, scowled and stormed off into the night. Amy took a step back in surprise, what was with everybody here, was nobody understanding any more? She gathered her coat up around her and was about to step out of the door when another hand caught her shoulder, she spun round, Lotte stood there grinning at her,

"Oooh, Dr. Kovac is sooo lovely, I think I'm in love!" she giggled.

"Nice. Dr. Carter's a nightmare."

"Really? Shame, he's cute, but not as gorgeous as Luka."

"Luka? You're on first name terms after a day?" Amy said in disblief.

"Well, no, not really, but I can dream can't I?"

Amy smiled, "I've really got to get home, I'm exhausted."

"Have you had time to eat today?"

"Once, but I'll have something when I get home."

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then, I'm famished so I'm getting off now."

Lotte breezed past Amy and skipped off happily towards her car. Amy yawned sleepily and decided get a cab. She walked onto the street and hailed one down.

John Carter slumped on the couch in the lounge, he placed his head in his hands. He gave a sigh, he felt as guilty as Hell, he knew he'd been hard on Amy on her first day, but he couldn't help it. He really doubted whether after everything that had happened recently he was a good mentor for the students. But he didn't have much of a choice, he was a senior doctor and he was needed to guide these kids. However, Amy reminded him so much of Lucy, her talent, her mouthy ways, her stubborn tenacity, but most of all her cuteness. He didn't want to let her out of his sight, he couldn't risk her getting hurt, he'd never forgive himself. It was almost like he was being given a second chance to look after someone the way he should have taken care of Lucy. He had to be cruel to be kind and if being over strict with her was the only way to make her toe the line then so be it. He vowed never to let anything happen to her. He sighed, rubbed his eyes and grabbing his coat from his locker left the lounge and the ER.

The next morning Amy ensured that she was in fresh and early, she'd eaten a large breakfast to give her the energy she would need to keep up with or maybe even impress him. As she walked in through the doors of the ER she took a deep breath and prepared to face her mentor. He was stood by the admit desk drinking coffe from a paper cup, she looked directly at him and walked towards him in her most purposeful manner. He didn't notice her until she was right beside him.

"Good morning, Dr. Carter." She smiled sweetly, hoping that today they were going to start off on a better foot.

"You're 4 minutes late, that's not good enough Miss Howard, if we had a trauma in right now the patient would have died, I expect you to be on time, particularly after your poor performance yesterday."

Amy's heart and smile sank, clearly today was not going to be any better than the previous. Carter continued, "Now, I want you to pick a patient, examine and present to me, but if you feel the patient needs a psych consult I want you to come and get me right away, ok?"

Amy nodded and collected the first clip board, chest pains and dizzy spells...

Lunch time was approaching, Amy's noisy tummy told her that. She sighed as she finished her third patient's examination. She felt pleased with herself, Carter had managed to find no criticisms with her previous two patients and she was therefore satisfied that she was doing a good job. In fact he'd even praised her on her last patient so all in all the day hadnt turned out to be so bad. She discharged her patient and headed towards Carter, who stood writing on the board at the admit desk.

"All done!" She exclaimed proudly, even if he had any criticisms she wouldn't have cared, she'd done a good morning's work and she knew it. To her relief Carter smiled at her.

"Well done, would you like to take ten to get something to eat?"

"Yes, I'm starving!" She gasped, nodding enthusiastically, her long blonde hair dancing round her face, Carter was again struck by her likeness to Lucy, he gave his head a slight shake and turned away warning her,

"Just don't be too long, ok?"

"Sure." She said as she began to walk away, keen to move before he got mad at her again. Just as she began to walk away Carter called her back,

"Amy – you're gonna have to wait for that lunch, we gotta trauma coming in, in about 3 minutes, MVA, 35 year old versus juggernaut, I'm gonna need your help, gown up and meet me in trauma 2!"

"But I need to eat!" She protested.

"Well I'm sure your grumbly stomach can wait, this is an ER not an office, if you always want to eat your lunch on time get another job!"

"No, you don't understand..." She cried but Carter cut her off with a stern

"Go gown up!"

Resisting a wave of dizziness, Amy marched towards trauma 2 , desperately hoping that her big breakfast would see her through the trauma.

A minute later Carter, Chuny, Sam, Ray and she were waiting as the paramedics raced the 35 year old man in. Blood spurted out of a stump that had once been his arm and his leg was bent at an awkward angle below the knee.

"35 year old male, hit and crushed by a huge juggernaut, 1 other victim decapitated at the scene. Pulse 140 and weak, resps even weaker, BP falling 90 over 40. Tib fib break and the arm is in here on ice." The paramedic yelled as she raised a bag with a severed arm in it. Amy swooned a little but caught herself, she was not going to ruin the good day she was having.

"Ok, lets get an IV going, saline, chuny please?"

"He's got decreased breath sounds on the left, I'm going to intubate." Observed Ray.

Amy reached to the man's single arm and felt for his pulse,

"I've lost his pulse!" She cried. The monitors beaped around her.

"He's crashing!" cried Sam.

The room began to spin as Amy staggered back.

"Amy, are you ok?" She heard Sam ask, but although the nurse was right next to her, she sounded really distant. The room went black.

"Don't tell me Miss Howard's fainted!" laughed Ray.

"Ignore it Ray, we can see to her later, it's just a faint, we've got a guy dying here!" Shouted Carter.

"No Carter, I dont think it is a faint – she stinks of pear drops – I think she's diabetic." Sam replied .

"What!" Carter stopped his compressions, "Ray take over here!"

Carter walked over to Amy, he felt a pang of guilt as he realised what she'd tried to tell him earlier, but he hadn't listened. He felt her pulse, weak and slow, he feared she was heading into a diabetic coma. Gently shaking her, he tried to rouse her, but it didn't work. He lifted her small, limp body into his arms and carried her into the next room and gently laid her down on a gurney.

"Lets get glucagon into her, she's having a hypo." He said to Sam.

"I've gotta get back in there, that guy's crashing. Can you handle this alone?" She replied.

"Sure, sorry."

Carter set up the IV and checked her over. Her BP was normalising and her pulse was definitely getting stronger. He sighed with relief. He used the phone to arrange her admittance to endocrinolgy.

Amy awoke with a groan, her mouth was dry and her tongue was glued to the roof of it. She turned her head to see Carter sat on a chair next to her. He smiled as she looked at him and said,

"Hey, how you feeling? You gave us all quite a scare back there kiddo."

"What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

Amy shook her head.

"You had a hypo, guess I should've listened to you when you said you needed to eat, but you should have told me you were diabetic!"

Amy turned away, "It's never been a problem before, I've never needed to tell anyone." She mumbled.

"Yes, well you needed to tell me. Now, mind if I give you the once over?" He asked, he didn't like to admit it, but he was becoming quite fond of the little blonde thing lying in front of him. Amy stiffled a yawn and nodded her agreement. Carter first pricked her finger and checked her blood sugar levels,

"Nearly normal." He stated. He took her pulse and checked her blood pressure and temperature. All were fine. "You are going to be just fine."

"Oh God! How long have I been here?" Amy sat bolt upright in bed, a look of panic on her face.

Carter looked puzzled, "About 48 hours, why?"

"Oh shit, look I've got to go!" She swung her legs off the bed and began removing the heart moniter from her chest.

"Wait, you can't go anywhere, you've been unconscious for 2 days, you haven't eaten and your blood sugar isn't quite normal yet!" He caught her by the shoulders and tried to gently push her back into bed. Amy resisted fiercely.

"I know how to handle my own illness, now I really do have to go!" She shook him off and carefully removed the drip from her arm.

"Amy please..."

"No! You don't understand!"

Carter looked into the young woman's eyes, they were wet.

"Hey, come on, don't cry." He said taking her into his arms, "Whatever's wrong, you can tell me."

"I can't! Please, I have to go home!"

"Well at least let me drive you?" Carter looked into her huge brown eyes. She gave a sniff, wiped her nose with her hand, causing Carter to smile as she nodded.

Amy slid off the bed, her bare feet hitting the cold floor sent a shiver up her tiny spine. She took her clothes off the chair in the corner of the room, pulled her trousers on and her blue t shirt and turned to Carter,

"Can we go now?" She asked. Carter nodded and sighed, he wrapped his coat around her and guided her out of the hospital.


	2. Chapter 2

The car pulled up outside Amy's apartment buliding, Carter turned to her,

"You want me to come up with you? Get you settled?"

"No, I'm fine, really." She replied, managing a faint smile. She got out of his car and slammed the door behind her. She fumbled in her bag for her keys and let herself in. Maggie met her at the door,

"Amy, where have you been! You could've called me! I've worked about $300 dollars worth of overtime here because you decided you didn't want to come home! I couldn't even call the hospital because you told me never to do that! I want an explanation!" The other woman folded her arms and looked at the young girl with more than faint distaste.

"Maggie, I am so sorry, I was sick, I had to stay in. I swear it won't happen again."

"It had better not do, or you can find yourself another carer!"

"How's Paul?" Amy asked meekly.

"He's upset, naturally."

Amy walked through to her brother's bedroom. Paul was sat in his wheelchair, his eyes glued to the television. Amy smiled to herself, he looked okay.

"Hey Paul," she walked over and knelt down beside the chair, he didn't look at her, "Hey, I'm sorry buddy, I didn't mean to leave you." She looked into his deep brown sorrowful eyes, he merely blinked and turned away. She took a tissue out of her bag and wiped the dribble off his chin. Maggie stood in the doorway, arms folded.

"As I've been here for nearly three days, can I go home and get some rest, please?"

"Sure, and Maggie I'm so sorry, I promise this will not happen again."

"My payment please!"

"Can I give you that tomorrow? I haven't been to an ATM." Amy replied.

Maggie simply gave a nod, "By the way, Amy, Burger Company have been on the phone, they've been wondering where you've been."

"Oh shit! I've got a shift tonight, Maggie could you..."

"Absolutely not! You've got yourself into this mess Miss Howard, you must sort it out!"

"But how do you expect me to pay you if I lose my job!"

"You must figure that one out!" Maggie replied and with that, she turned on her heel and left the apartment. Amy buried her face in her hands and wept.

As Amy walked through the doors of the ER three days later, she was greeted by Ray.

"Hey, I heard you were coming back today, how are you feeling?" He asked, a look of concern flashed across his eyes.

"Pretty good thanks." Amy looked tired, the past few days she'd worked double shifts in the fast food restaurant to pay Maggie for her overtime.

"You sure, you still look a bit rough."

"I'm fine, really." She grabbed her hair from round her face and pulled it back into a loose pony tail, revealing dark bags under her eyes. Ray looked worried, but said nothing. He took a chart from the rack and walked off to exam 3. Amy sighed and turned to see a beaming Lotte.

"Hey stranger!" She squealed, embracing her friend tightly. "You will never guess what!" the brunette beamed.

"Surprise me." Amy replied flatly. Lotte ignored her friend's blatant lack of interest.

"Peter Gregson asked me out! He's such a dish!" she laughed.

Amy smiled, "That's great Lotte, where're you going?"

"He's taking me for a romantic meal tonight. But that's not all!" Lotte looked at her friend waiting for a response. Amy sighed,

"What else?"

"Roy Kenneth and Ray Barnett have both been persistently asking after you! I think you've got admirers!"

"That's nice." Amy took a chart from the rack and walked past Lotte.

"I tell you HUGE news, and all you can say is 'that's nice'? Don't you care that two really hot men like you?"

"Not particularly."

The day passed quite uneventfully, much to Amy's relief. As her shift drew to an end, Ray caught up with her.

"How was your first day back?"

"Oh you know, coughs, headaches, cuts and bruises, pretty much the usual."

"You sound like you've been here as long as me!" He laughed, looking again into her tired eyes, a hint of concern still present in his own.

"I feel like it!" She replied with a giggle.

"So, how do you fancy chilling out with me tonight? We could go for something to eat, or to see a movie? You, er, you look like you could use a break." Ray said, hopefully.

"Oh Ray, I would love to, believe me I would, but I have other commitments."

"Sorry, you have a boyfriend already, right?"

"No, I just have stuff to do."

"Can't this stuff wait, just for tonight?"

"Not really, I'm sorry."

Amy bent her head low and headed to the lounge to collect her things and headed out for another shift at Burger Company.

"Hello, can I take your order please?" Amy smiled at her fiftieth customer that evening. Her shifts always dragged in the fast food restaurant, and tonight she was stood in a freezing cold drive through booth and there were no fleece jumpers left, so she stood there in nothing but a thin cotton t-shirt protecting her from the cold night air.

As the car left her window, another one pulled up. 'Oh crap!' she thought, she pulled her cap as far over her eyes as she could and endeavoured not to make eye contact with the driver of the car.

"Can I take your order please?"

"Yeah, I'll have large fries and and diet coke, please, and," the driver turned to face the waitress, "Amy!" he exclaimed.

"Hi Ray." Amy replied sheepishly.

"Amy, what are you doing here after a full day at the hospital, you've got an early shift tomorrow, you should be resting! This is why you couldn't come out with me?"

"Ray don't. I need the money."

"Why? Isn't the student loan enough, your parents?"

"It's a long story, Ray, please just leave it and please don't tell anyone about this."

Ray looked at the young woman, her eyes were searching him pleadingly.

"What time does your shift finish?"

"1 am."

"That's about 3 hours from now, I'll pick you up and we can talk."

Amy had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Ray had been waiting outside for nearly 3 and half hours before he finally saw Amy leave the store. She walked up to his car and he opened the door for her.

"Jeez Amy, you look exhausted!"

Amy flooped into the seat next to him.

"Come on, spill."

"I can't, you wouldn't understand." she replied.

"Try me."

"Okay, I'll show you, but on one condition."

"Go on," he said, slowly.

"Don't tell anyone at the hospital about this, you have to promise me."

"Okay, I promise."

Ray started his car and drove out of the restaurant car park. It wasn't long before he pulled up outside Amy's apartment. He switched his engine off and turned to the young woman in his passenger seat. He noticed how beautiful she was, with her long golden hair and giant eyes.

"Okay, we're here, now tell me what's going on."

"You'd better come inside."

Ray followed Amy into her apartment building. It was more run down than his building and it smelt of damp. The grey wallpaper was peeling of the walls in places and the carpet beneath their feet was worn bare and had become a mouldy brown colour. He followed the younger woman as she led him to her apartment and unlocked the door which then opened with a loud creak. Her apartment was cleaner than the building, although the wallpaper was still grey and peeling the apartment had a cheerful atmosphere and Amy had decorated her windowsill with flowers, had placed pictures on the wall and the rooms had a scent of disinfectant. Amy offered her companion a seat on the sofa and a drink, but Ray politely declined.

"What is it you wanted to show me?"

"Hang on a second."

Amy walked through to Paul's bedroom where Maggie was cleaning up aroundher sleeping brother. Maggie stopped what she was doing and wordlessly left the apartment, but not before taking her pay off Amy. Amy went back through to her living room,

"You can come through now, if you like?"

Ray got up and followed her to Paul's bedroom.

"This is my brother, I have to take care of him and it doesn't come cheap."

Ray looked at the young man asleep on the bed and realisation dawned as he glanced round the room and saw the wheelchair, hoist and other general equipment for his care. A wave of pity for Amy wahed over him.

"What about your parents, don't they help?"

Amy led Ray back through to the living room.

"My parents are dead, they died about six years ago, that's how Paul became, you know." Amy took a deep breath as Ray watched her intently. "There was a car accident, they were driving Paul to college for his first day, he got into Harvard. They were so proud and in such a rush to get there. Their car hit some water at high speed and they just lost control. Mom died instantly, Dad died a little later on and Paul suffered severe brain damage."

"What about you?"

"I wasn't there, luckily. But I've had to care for Paul ever since." Amy swallowed as her voice cracked, but she still continued, "I was only 16 at the time, but I worked hard, 2 jobs cash in hand until I graduated from high school. Then I started my medical degree. It hasn't been easy, but it will be worth it when I'm finally earning enough to care for Paul properly, I don't think much of his carer right now, but she's all I can afford."

Ray nodded silently, he felt a great pity for the young woman, but he also admired her courage and strength. Most people would have given up in such situations and would certainly not have become doctors. Ray silently vowed to help Amy as much as he possibly could.


End file.
